Confidence - Maxie X Reader
by UraharaSteph
Summary: This story revolves around a regular Magma Grunt who has a thing for Maxie. The tale tries to show there is more to being a Magma Grunt than just taking orders and standing around in a silly uniform. Written in second person.
1. Chapter 1

Confidence

 **Maxie X Reader**  
 ** _Chapter One_**

As you bent down to collect your Soda Pop out of the vending machine, you heard a male voice state 'niiiiice'. You turned and saw a fellow grunt halfway through his sandwich. He gave you a thumbs up and a wink. Quick to hide your blush, you hid your face under your hood and shyly opened the can.

The male lazed back in his uncomfortable cafeteria chair and frowned. "Come on, [Name], how are you ever going to get anywhere with Maxie if you can't even take a compliment from your co-workers?"

A female grunt joined him at the table, with a tray full of food. She took one look at you, who hid behind your can, and said "What's wrong?" She snapped her head round to the male. "Have you been harassing [Name] again!?"

He held his hands up defencelessly and smirked at the female. "I'm not harassing anyone. Just tryin' to help her out."

The female's eyes narrowed and she glanced at you. Timidly, you took the can away from your face and gave her a meek smile. "It's okay, Julia. I'm used to Xerxes trying to 'help' me."

"Hun, if he gives you any more trouble, just let me know and my Mightyena will rip his perving eyes right out of their sockets."

Xerxes laughed off the threat, but you weren't certain that it was a joke.

Since you had finished your shift for the day and had no other commitments, you decided to sit with your colleagues. The usual topics came up; the hot Team Aqua girl, the pesky unbeatable-kid, your pokemon's progression and as always, your undying love for Magma's leader, Maxie.

"It's not an 'undying love'!" You protested with pink cheeks.

Both Julia and Xerxes laughed. "Right." Whispered Julia with a nod. "Courtney could be around here. Better not let her hear about your crush, or there could be a cat-fight! Mrrrow!"

Xerxes pulled an unconvinced face. "Pfft, you don't believe that rumour, do you Juls?"

You raised an eyebrow. "What rumour?"

Julia leaned back and elegantly drank her lemonade. "The rumour that Courtney fancies Maxie. I think there might be some truth to it."

You subconsciously gulped as Courtney's flawless figure and enchanting eyes came to mind. She was always by Maxie's side, ready to do anything he asked her to in that tight, short dress. Sweat started to form on the back of your head. If the rumour was true, you were ready to surrender there and then. There was no way you could compete against a intelligent woman like that for Maxie's heart. Or so you believed.

Xerxes immediately picked up on your anxiety. He gave you a harsh pat on the back and told you not to worry. "Rumours are just rumours. There are loads in every work place. This place is no different. Like there's a rumour Tabitha fancies Maxie. Oh, and Courtney fancies that stupid pesky kid. Oh! And that Tabitha faps to Gardevoirs-"

"Ugh gosh! Right! We get the picture!" Julia shuddered. "Did not need that image, thanks."

"Does Tabitha really do that over Gardevoirs?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

Xerxes laughed. "I bloody hope not!" He rubbed your back and smiled. "Like I said, they're just rumours. No-one knows if they're true and they most likely aren't. I don't think you have to worry about Courtney, okay?"

A wave of reassurance made you relax. "If you say so, but I know I'm not the only one in this place who has... you know... a _thing_ for Maxie."

Julia shrugged. "Probably not, but if anyone can crack that cold shell of his and get the warm Maxie juices flowing, it's you."

"You make it sound so gross..." You whimpered. "But, I don't even have many chances to talk to him outside of work. I sometimes deliberately screw up to get lectured by him or take on extra workloads to talk with him, but we've never spoken outside a work environment before." You confessed.

Xerxes scratched his left butt-cheek as he nodded along with your words. He could not help but scratch all the time; the wool irritated his sensitive skin. "Well, the annual work do is coming up, maybe you can talk to him at that?"

You sunk lower into your seat. You had forgotten about the Magma annual party and Pokemon competition. It was first introduced to keep morale up and became a regular occurrence. Maxie never attended for long, but he always showed his face for a few songs and watched the finals of the competition. You admitted to yourself that it would be a great opportunity to talk to him in a more laid-back environment, but you were not sure if you would be able to muster the confidence to even walk past him, let alone strike up conversation.

"Maybe..." You muttered as a few grunts walked past the table to the bin. They discussed who their dates were for the party and that made you grin a little. "Are all three of us going as a trio again?"

As soon as Xerxes and Julia glanced at each other with a worried expression, you already knew the answer. They explained that they had gotten dates and hadn't given much thought to attending as a group. You were not impressed by them and with a bit of attitude you shot up out of your chair. "It's fine." The passive aggressiveness was clear in your voice.

You tossed the empty can into the bin and made your way over to the warp panel. "I guess I'll see you guys at the party." You tried to force a smirk but it did not fool anyone.

"We're really sorry!" Julia repeated for the umpteenth time.

"Don't sweat it." You avoided her gaze and warped away.

The locker room was empty aside from you and one other. As you walked to your locker to get your normal clothes and bag, you eyed the man across from you. A smile cracked across your face. It was Tabitha, but all you could think about was whether he really did masturbate over Gardevoirs. A horrid tingle ran up your spine and the mental image made the hairs stand on the back of your neck. You had not realised you made an audible groan.

"Huh?" Tabitha turned from his own locker. His narrow eyes glared at you but his expression changed when he recognised who you were. "[Name]? Didn't your shift finish an hour ago?"

"Mm." You pushed the locker door closed with your back.

"Were you helping out Maxie again? You know, you shouldn't let him take advantage of your kind nature-?"

"No, no." You interrupted and laughed very slightly. "I just got talking to some friends. Besides, I really don't mind helping Maxie out. He's not taking advantage of me, I really enjoy it, but thank you for caring."

Tabitha seemed startled when you said that. He folded his arms across his chest and turned away. "Oh I don't care about **you** , I just have a-a, um, a duty to look out for my fellow colleagues! That is what a great chief admin does." It definitely sounded like he cared.

"Right." You headed towards the woman's changing rooms and gave one last smile to Tabitha. As you placed your hand on the door handle, you became nervous. The image of Courtney blew up in your mind once more and that awful cold sweat had returned. You bit your bottom lip and stared at Tabitha. Your eyes bore into him as you tried to brew the courage to ask him a question.

He visibly began to sweat as he watched you stare at him. He was clearly freaked out. "Can I help you?" Tabitha asked cautiously.

"Yes!" You said a little too eagerly and made the male flinch. You cleared your throat and averted your gaze to the ground. "Um, I was just wondering. You and Admin Courtney are friends, right?"

He scoffed. "We work together."

"Well, do you think there's any truth to the rumour that she... 'likes' our boss in a... well a romantic way?"

Tabitha looked at you. There was an awkward silence as you awaited his answer and he waited for the punchline. When neither came, Tabitha laughed. "Ahyahyahyah, you're being serious." It made him laugh harder. "No, I don't think Courtney holds any silly affection for our leader. We are great admins and work hard for him, but Courtney? Liking Maxie? That is just something preposterous and amusing!"

While Tabitha giggled to himself, you felt extremely embarrassed. You rushed into the changing room and did not leave until you were certain Tabitha had left. That damn Makuhita-man had really knocked down all the confidence you had built. Still, he had given you an answer.

Courtney was not your rival.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It was a brand new day and you had no more shifts until after the party. The hot sun beamed down on Lilycove. Its streets were ram-packed with busy shoppers and contest goers. As you walked down the paths in your day-to-day clothes, you watched contestants practice their most spectacular combinations in the golden sunlight. A flock of Wingulls flew overhead and you automatically went to shield yourself from any flying poop. A couple of kids cut across your path and nearly made you fall over your own feet, but you did not shout or complain. You just smiled at them as they ran off toward the harbour, without even throwing a 'sorry' your way.

"Hm, it really is nice weather." You muttered to yourself, as you fished two pokéballs out of your bag. "I'm sure Numel and Poochyena would appreciate it. Come on out, guys!" You threw the balls into the air and out burst your companion pokémon.

Poochyena stretched out its small body and shook its fur loose. Numel stared up at you with a sleepy gaze and yawned. You bent down and gave them both a pet. "We've got a couple of days off so I thought we might as well enjoy the sunshine. Let's see, I was thinking we could get a new outfit for the party this weekend, then grab some ice-creams and head to the beach. Is that okay with you guys?"

Poochyena woofed and nodded its head in agreement, where as Numel gave you something akin to a content shrug. You straightened yourself up and pocketed their pokéballs. Your first stop was the department store.

Once you reached the huge, glass doors of the store, you instructed your pokémon to wait outside in the shade. They nodded and Poochyena barked at a nearby Skitty while Numel collapsed into a tired puddle. Certain they would be safe on their own, you shopped around for a new outfit.

After you endured the sweltering conditions of the overpacked and overpriced shops, and waited out the horrendous queues, you finally stumbled back to the ground floor. You peeked into the bag that held your outfit and a confident smile sprang to your face. You hoped it would be enough to make a few heads turn your way, or at least a very particular head.

The thought of Maxie stealing a glance at you made your heart race.

In a world of your own, you sauntered to the big glass doors. Unfortunately, two familiar voices snapped you out of your dazed state. You stopped dead in your tracks and hid behind a huge sign that promoted pokéblocks. Stealth mode was activated and you subtly observed the two youths outside the department store, bent down by your beloved pokémon.

Poochyena growled at them and its fur stood up on end. You sighed to yourself. The boy and girl who inspected your pokémon were Brendan and May, the pesky children who had gotten in the way a few too many times of Magma affairs.

"How can you be so sure they belong to a Magma grunt?" Brendan asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"They look familiar. I feel like we've battled them before." May pondered.

She was right. You had fought the kids before and to your dismay, they had won the battle. You began to sweat as Poochyena looked ready to bite the girl's face off. You silently prayed that it wouldn't.

Brendan stood up straight and shrugged his shoulder. "It doesn't look like their trainer is about. Maybe we should hand them over to the authorities?"

May nodded. "I wouldn't put it past one of those Magma grunts to abandon their pokémon on a hot and busy day like this. Let's go and find a police officer."

That accusation caused your heart to shatter. Team Magma members were not bad guys, or at least, not to you. Some individuals may have had dubious intentions but people like you were fighting for a better future. You had your reasons for signing up to Team Magma. You understood you were not good in everyone's eyes, but never, ever would you even think about abandoning your pokémon. They were your partners, your friends, your family.

You stepped out from behind the advertisement and walked over to your Poochyena and Numel. "Can I help you kids?"

May toppled backwards but Brendan steadied her and pulled her up. He narrowed his eyes at you and immediately grabbed a pokéball. "You were right, May. I recognise this one."

"Huh?" She blinked and studied your face. It was harder for her to remember you without the uniform, but her expression turned stern when she did remember. "You're part of Team Magma!"

A few passers-by stopped. A few gasped, another few cheered. Then there were the people who were scared; they avoided your presence like the plague. With so much attention on you, you felt nervous and a little frightened. You were off duty and had no missions; there was no reason for you and those kids to fight.

"Y-yeah, I'm part of Team Magma." You tried to keep your cool and composed demeanour.

Brendan was suspicious of you. "What are you doing at the department store? Planning on stealing something from here as well, huh?! What's in those bags?!"

"That's none of your beeswax! I'm just doing some shopping, so leave me alone, squirt." Your eye twitched a little. It was hard to keep up the 'tough' act.

May noticed the spasm on your face. She though it was a tell-tale sign that you were lying. "They're up to something, Bren."

"Oh well." The boy smirked. "I guess we'll have to make her talk. A double battle should be enough."

The sweat was clear on your forehead. "You've got to be kidding me..." You whispered as Poochyena and Numel readied themselves for battle. "Alright then, squirt. I'll beat you and continue enjoying my day."

The two pokémon jumped into position. However, before the match could begin, the crowd that had gathered around the three of you began to part down the middle. You turned to see three figures approach the battle. One of them walked in an unmistakable way.

The middle man had his hands clasped behind his back and his glasses reflected the daylight into your eyes. You put your hand in front of your face and squinted to look at Maxie. Your knees almost turned to jelly. You stood in his grand shadow as Admin Courtney and a high ranking grunt stood either side of him. You could only assume that Tabitha was left in charge of the base.

Maxie's cold glare switched from you to Brendan and May. "Children can be such troublemakers. Are you disturbing members of the public now?"

The duo looked cross. Brendan was the one to speak. "'Members of the public'? Ha, she's one of yours and we won't let you get away with whatever you're plotting for this store."

Maxie's expression did not change. He shook his head at the boy and took a few steps closer to him. "Has it ever occurred to you that those who work for me have their own lives to live outside of their job? Perhaps there is more to this girl than Team Magma? When she takes off that uniform, she is herself once more. She should be able to live free from harassment and pursue whatever she desires, free of accusation and judgement based off of her work. Of course, you are both but children. You still believe that the world is black and white when really it is all kinds of grey, as are the people in it. I can assure you, if I had anything planned for this building, it would be done in uniform. After all, I believe the world should know the symbol of the ones who are going to enhance the lives of humanity everywhere."

He turned to you. He looked unimpressed and the air around him had gone cold. It was no different from usual. Maxie did not say anything, but when he walked away you could tell he wanted you to follow. Brendan and May's eyes were glued to you as you hurried after Maxie. It looked as though they were just going to let you go.

'Phew' you thought as your pokémon walked beside you. However, you could not relax. You were walking in the shadow of your boss, Team Magma's Leader Maxie. Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest as you headed to what looked like to be the lighthouse.


End file.
